Effects of Transgenic Rice Expressing Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab Protein on Ground-Dwelling Collembolan Community in Postharvest Seasons

• Published in: Environmental entomology 2010-02, Vol.39 (1), p.243-251
• Main Authors: Bai, Y. Y, Yan, R. H, Ye, G. Y, Huang, F. N, Cheng, J. A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adverse effects; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Arthropods - drug effects; Bacillus thuringiensis; Bacterial Proteins - toxicity; Biological and medical sciences; Bourletiella christianseni; Bt rice; collembolan community; crystal proteins; Ecosystem; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Endotoxins - toxicity; Entomobrya griseoolivata; field experimentation; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic engineering applications; Genetics and breeding of economic plants; grain crops; Hemolysin Proteins - toxicity; Hypogastrura matura; nontarget organisms; Oryza - genetics; Oryza sativa; Plant breeding: fundamental aspects and methodology; plant-incorporated protectants; Plants, Genetically Modified; Population Density; population dynamics; rice; risk assessment; seasonal variation; Seasons; Soil - analysis; species diversity; Temperature; transgenic plants; TRANSGENIC PLANTS AND INSECTS; Water - analysis
• ISSN: 0046-225X; 1938-2936
• DOI: 10.1603/EN09149

During 2005–2008, field studies were conducted at two locations in Chongqing, China, to assess the potential effects of transgenic rice expressing Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ab protein on the nontarget ground-dwelling collembolan community in three postharvest seasons. Collembolans in non-Bt and Bt rice fields were sampled with pitfall traps during each of two postharvest seasons of 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 and litterbag traps during each of three postharvest seasons of 2005/2006, 2006/2007, and 2007/2008. Ground-dwelling collembolans in rice fields during the postharvest seasons were abundant, whereas community densities varied considerably between the two locations and among the three seasons. A total of 67,310 collembolans, representing three species, Entomobrya griseoolivata, Hypogastrura matura, and Bourletiella christianseni, were captured during the three postharvest seasons. E. griseoolivata was the predominant species, accounting for 87.7% of the total captures, followed by H. matura (10.7%) and B. christianseni (1.6%). In general, there were no significant differences in species compositions and abundances of each species between Bt and non-Bt paddy fields, suggesting no significantly impact of plant residues of Cry1Ab rice on collembolan communities during postharvest seasons.